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Lifestyle

Mad Hatter’s Tea Party : Afternoon Tea at the Sanderson

josie / 29th November 2013

Mad Hatter’s Tea Party : Afternoon Tea at the Sanderson

To celebrate my fabulous friend, Hannah’s graduation from her degree in English Literature, we took a trip to the Sanderson Hotel, just off Oxford Street to the place inspired by Lewis Carroll’s obscure fairytale; the otherworldly experience that is the Mad Hatter’s Afternoon Tea.

We were invited to ‘tumble down the rabbit hole’ for one of the most eccentric afternoon teas that London has to offer! The tea party takes place in an inside garden, a courtyard with a huge clear rooftop, and a woodland themed bar area; it’s easy to forget that you are just steps away from the busting Oxford Street!

{ Please excuse the grainy images – it was very dark at 4pm in November! I’ll just have to go again in the spring to take some better ones 😉 }

Upon being seated, Hannah and I were presented with the menu which was hidden inside a vintage book; just a hint of the theatrical theme of the afternoon to come.

Each tea blend was presented on the table in glass caddies, for us to sample the aroma; we chose Strawberries and Cream, as well as the Sanderson Breakfast Tea as our safer option!

The crockery was designed by Luna & Curious, a delightful mix of English traditional ceramics, with a hint of our renowned eccentricity. After several Oohs and Aahs over the Kings and Queens, (or Zebras bottoms in Hannah’s case!) on the teapots, we were gobsmacked when this three tiered sweet feast arrived!

Oh wow, looking back at these images is reminding me how fabulous the dainty sandwiches were; smoked cumbrian ham with wholegrain mustard on sun dried tomato bread, cucumber and chive with cream cheese on spinach bread, as well as the traditional egg cress roll were served with classic home baked sweet scones, as well as an unusual, but equally scrumptious savoury scone with herb butter and fruit preserves.

To accompany and celebrate the indulgent occasion, Hannah and I treated ourselves to cocktails, which included the pear and elderflower Bellini and our favourite; the Scarlet Martini with Wyborowa pure vodka, shaken with strawberries, cucumber, honey and pomegranate juice.

{ Cheesy, Us?! }

The whimsical affair continued with sweet treats, including ‘Strawberries and Cream’ homemade marshmallow mushrooms and carrot meringue, served on a bed of pea shoots, a ‘Tick Tock’ Victoria sponge cake clock, and a melting mango cheesecake with a rainbow patterned white chocolate coating. Guests were also invited to visit Jelly Wonderland, with fruit jellies made in Victorian moulds, but alas, we couldn’t squeeze it in! (Should have bought the tupperware…)

Having been to quite a few Afternoon teas in London, the only regret that I have about our trip to the Sanderson is that we didn’t do it sooner – it is extremely close between this and the Fashionista’s Pret a Portea afternoon tea at the Berkeley, but I have to admit that the Sanderson left Hannah and I grinning ear to ear like Cheshire cats – and is now firmly my number one favourite afternoon tea spot in London!

After reading this post, it would be a serious crime not to visit the Sanderson for Mad Hatters tea, as the Queen of Hearts would say, ‘Off with your head!’ – you”ll be missing out on a seriously special treat.

I’d love to know if you’ve discovered an Afternoon Tea in London that can rival the Sanderson’s? If you have, don’t keep it to yourself! Let me know in the comments below 🙂